1. The document discusses different types of seed planting equipment and their potential to generate fugitive dust from seed treatments, focusing on positive air pressure and vacuum planters. 2. It describes a new alternative fluency agent from Bayer that has been shown to reduce the creation of fugitive dust compared to other seed lubricants. 3. The International Organization for Standardization has developed a new standard, ISO 17962:2015, which specifies requirements for vacuum exhaust performance in planters to minimize drift of any fugitive dust, including a maximum exhaust outlet height of 0.5 meters and air velocity limits around the outlet.

1. Ag Equipment Manufacturers and
Pollinators
Croplife Conference
April 2015

2. Overview
• Planter Technology Overview
• Bayer Alternative Fluency Agent
• ISO Standard to Control for Fugitive Dust Control

3. Planting Technology
There are five types of seed planting equipment in common use in North
America:
• Box drills (mechanical meters) – most typically used for small grains
• Mechanical meter row crop planters
• Air seeders – positive air central metering and pneumatic conveyance
to row – most typically used for small grains
• Positive air pressure row crop planters
• Vacuum air pressure row crop planters
Box drills and mechanical meter planters have no air system. Air
seeders convey any fugitive dust directly to the seed trench. These
three systems are not discussed in the following slides.

4. Positive Air Pressure
Planters
Positive air and vacuum seed
metering systems both use air
pressure to hold seeds on a
meter disk. The first uses
positive air (pressure greater
than atmospheric) while the
second uses vacuum (pressure
less than atmospheric).
Both central (bulk fill) systems
and individual row hopper
systems are available for
positive air planters.
Low velocity exhaust air is
released at each seed meter.

5. Example metering system

7. Airflow in a Positive Air Pressure System
Air is drawn from a central
location with exhaust at
each row unit.

8. Vacuum Planters
Each row unit has a vacuum
seed meter. The seed is
drawn into the meter using
vacuum to hold the seed to the
disk.
The seed is conveyed from
meter to seed trench by either
gravity or a mechanical
conveyance system.
Both central (bulk fill) systems
and individual row hopper
systems are available.
There is a central vacuum fan
with a central exhaust.

9. Vacuum System Technology
Seed in the bottom of the meter
Vacuum pressure draws seed
onto the disk

10. Vacuum Meter
Gravity conveyance to seed
trench shown.

11. Airflow in a Vacuum System
Air is drawn from individual
row units with exhaust at a
central location.
(note: some systems have multiple
fans = multiple exhausts)

12. Best control of seed treatment fugitive
dust results from a coordinated approach
• Effective seed coatings to bind active agent to seed.
• Appropriate seed coating equipment and techniques that fully realize the
binding agent’s potential.
• Minimized seed treatment loss (dust generation) during handling, including
during the planting process.
• Minimized drift (uncontrolled movement) of fugitive dust.
Planter manufacturers have no direct influence on the first two items

13. Bayer Alternative Fluency Agent
• A seed lubricating agent is typically needed for optimum seed meter
performance – common lubricants are talc, graphite and talc/graphite
mixtures.
• Testing by Bayer showed reduced fugitive dust creation for Bayer agent -
independent tests have also found reduction.
• Equipment manufacturers began voluntary testing of the new product in 2012,
with planter performance measures usually satisfactory.
• Two AEM member planter manufacturing companies are selling the Bayer
agent through their distribution channels for the 2015 planting season.

14. Development of International Standard -
ISO 17962

15. ISO 17962:2015

16. ISO 17962:2015
Design Method
The design method directly specifies vacuum exhaust performance. Drift
potential for fugitive dust is assumed to be closely related to height and
velocity of exhaust air. The method name is perhaps misleading since it
also requires passing performance testing:
•The exhaust outlet height can not exceed 0.5 meters with the planter in
the sowing position.
•Air velocity external to a 2 meter radius cylinder centered on the exhaust
outlet can not exceed 4 meters per second (laterally) at the soil surface or
2 meters per second anywhere else around (or over) the cylinder.

17. ISO 17962:2015
Design Method
Provides equipment designers
the maximum degree for
creative solutions that respect
limitations of exhaust fan
velocity characteristics that
could contribute negatively to
drift of fugitive dust.

18. ISO 17962:2015